


The Raft

by erin_babbit



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe, Everlark Week Challenge, F/M, Tumblr: promptsinpanem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-08
Updated: 2012-10-08
Packaged: 2017-11-15 22:20:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/532393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erin_babbit/pseuds/erin_babbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four friends encounter something unusual on a little getaway to an abandoned lake. Written for Prompts In Panem AU Everlark Week (October 2012) Day 6: Horror challenge.<br/>Based on 1987 Creepshow 2 excerpt THE RAFT</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Raft

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: This is based (almost completely) off of a story from the classic Creepshow 2 from 1987. The movie is made up of three stories based on the works of Stephen King and told through a prologue, several interludes and epilogue involving a comic book. Each story told in the movie is an excerpt from that comic book. If you have not seen the movie (should I mention the screenplay is by George A. Romero?), I highly recommend it but for now, go on over to YouTube and search for Creepshow 2: The Raft. It is 1980’s horror film glory.

It was a mild September afternoon when four friends decided to drive to an abandoned beach around a small lake not far from their hometown. It wasn’t really warm enough to swim but they were looking for an adventure this weekend, something to take up time that didn’t involve making out at the slagheap or grabbing a burger at Greasy Sae’s.

            Katniss Everdeen sat quietly in the backseat with Peeta Mellark. They stole shy looks from one another in between clutching the seat from Finnick’s erratic driving and covering their ears from Annie’s shrill voice singing along to top 40 hits.

            Peeta rose up next to Finnick’s ear, “Tell me why we are going to a closed beach? Why can’t we go to the one on the other side of town, huh?”

            “Mellark, I’m trying to show the ladies a good time. Show them some scenery. Make out with Annie somewhere besides the Seam. I’m setting the mood, bro!” He laughed as he took the next curve too fast.

           

            They find the lake still and peaceful. Finnick wastes no time in stripping down to his swim trunks and diving in, bobbing up fast and shouting, “Shit! That’s fucking cold.”

            “I don’t want to go in if it’s cold, you twit!” Annie shouts after him.

            “C’mon baby! Let’s get to the raft and I’ll warm you up!” He splashes water towards the shore, “C’mon Mellark! Don’t be a pussy!” And he swims away towards the wooden, floating dock in the middle of the lake.

            Peeta, wanting to be daring in front of Katniss, strips down and wades in, giving a yelp from the cold water. Finnick is already almost to the raft, so Peeta picks up the pace. Reluctantly, the girls soon follow, leaving their clothes on to maybe stay warm.

            But something catches Peeta’s eye. Just beyond the raft, he sees something floating, phantom-like around a cluster of mallards. One of them almost seems to get stuck in the mass, struggling not to go under. It’s squaks and tries to find flight. And then it’s gone, never resurfacing. The sound of splashing behind him startles him; the girls are nearly there too.

            He climbs up the steel ladder, Annie soon follows. But Katniss seems to be enjoying herself, swimming at a leisurely pace. Peeta glances over to the floating mass. It seems to be moving towards her, sliding along the surface effortlessly.

            He panics. “Katniss, hurry up!” She looks at him funny, still keeping the same pace.

            He shouts again, “C’mon Katniss. Swim faster!”

            “Okay, okay Peeta! Geez!”

He looks behind him. The oily clot is moving steadily towards her. _Like its hunting her down_ , he thinks.

Katniss starts to climb up the ladder but Peeta grabs hold of her shoulders and hoists her up onto the platform. “Ow, Peeta! That hurt!” She rubs her arms.

“Peeta, what is your deal?” It’s Annie. She’s fished a little baggie from between her tits, pulling out a cigarette and lighter.

“That!” He points to the accumulation hovering around the barge. He can see it clearly now: it’s wrinkled, almost looking like a sheet of plastic with pine needles and other debris stuck in it. It looks slimy to the touch but thick like tar. It smelled like a dead animal.

Annie leans over, lit cigarette between her teeth, “What is that?”

“Looks like an oil slick to me” Finnick says, putting his arm around Annie shoulders.

Katniss leans over too, inspecting it. Peeta pulls her wrist back. She steps back towards him. “It doesn’t look like any oil slick I’ve ever seen. It looks like…it’s waiting for us.”

Finnick and Annie bust out laughing.

Katniss leans into Peeta’s ear, “What do you think it is?”

He shrugs, glancing at the shiny clot circling. “I don’t know, but it’s creeping me the fuck out.”

Finnick and Annie laughed at Peeta asking him if he was stoned out of his mind. Their banter rang out over the desolate forest they were in.

Annie sat down on the edge of the raft, dangling her legs over, puffing her cigarette. Finnick had started a tale of how he went camping as a Boy Scout a few miles back towards town. He apparently had almost caught the entire campsite on fire from lighting his very first cigarette.

Annie’s scream interrupted him.

The mass had consumed her legs, tar-like tendrils wrapped around her calves. Annie screamed for Finnick. She was being drug into the water as her fingernails tried to find purchase on the planks. Finnick lunged forward and grabbed her hands but he seemed to be no match for the monster that was dragging her in.

“It hurts…it hurts!” she shrieked.

Peeta stared wide- eyed as the tar overtook her back, pulling her under. She thrashed above, blackened with the substance, screaming still. But it consumed her again, bubbling as she sank.

Annie stopped screaming.

“What the FUCK was that?” Finnick panicked, running his hands over and over through his bronze hair. “I have to get her.”

Katniss grabbed his arm, “No! She’s gone, Finn. I don’t know how, but she’s g-gone.”

 

 

Hours passed. None of them spoke. Finnick paced back and forth, half crazed. The mass still circled. The stench it carried with it, intensified. It smelled of rotting flesh.

“What are we going to do?” Katniss finally asked.

“I-I don’t know. Maybe wait until someone comes looking for us.” Peeta answered.

She frowned. “That could be days…”

Finnick stopped abruptly. “We should just make a swim for it. We could beat it.”

“Finn, we’re not on the swimming team like you.” Peeta gestured between he and Katniss, “ _We_ could not beat it.”

They were silent again.

 

The sky started to get hazy when Finnick came up with a plan. “We distract it.”

“How?” Katniss asked.

“Give me your hoodie and your shirt, Kat. I’ll lure it around to the back of the raft and when I say go, you go. Then I’ll do it again for Peeta. And then I’ll wait until it circles back around and I’ll go. I can beat this fucker. I hold state records for fuck’s sake!”

“You’re insane! It’s not going to work!” Katniss yelled. She looked to Peeta who looked thoughtful. “Peeta?”

“It might work. If maybe we could feed it your clothes, trick it into thinking it was a person…yeah, I think maybe that could work.”

“Are you crazy!”

Peeta swooped to her, grabbing her shoulders. “We’ve got to try! No one knows we’re out here. Who knows what could happen to us?”

“Get your shit together, Katniss. It’s almost dark.” Finnick said.

She stripped off her hoodie and her t-shirt underneath, handing them over to Finnick. The air was getting cooler by the minute, making goosebumps spring up across her skin. She took her stance facing the bank and began taking deep breaths to calm herself. Peeta came up behind her. “Don’t look back, okay? Just swim as fast as you can. You can do it.” She nodded, her teeth starting to chatter.

Finnick eased a sleeve of the hoodie into the water and waited. The creature seemed attentive and began creeping around to wear the cloth dangled. As soon as it latched on Finnick yelled “Go!”

Katniss was in the water before he drew another breath. But the thing was fooled for only a moment before it quickly circled, gliding towards the sounds of Katniss’ frantic splashing.

She was only half way to shore when her sides started to burn, her breath becoming erratic. She took a big heaping breath, diving her head under so she could swim easier.

Peeta screeched when he saw her go under and not immediately resurface. In the soft pink haze of the sky he could see the creature still stalking. _Surely, it did not have her_ , he thought.

A minute ticked by before he saw her dark hair immerge from the water, her feet scrambling against the soft sand of the beach. She did not stop. Instead she continued up onto the hood of Finnick’s car.

Peeta let out the breath he was holding.

“Okay, you next Mellark.”

When he hung the shirt over the edge, it did not have the same effect. Instead, it seemed to make the brute angry. It disappeared under the dock. Both men froze.

“What the fuck are we going to do now?” Peeta asked.

Suddenly, the tar began to bubble up through the slats of wood. It was almost as if it had a pulse. Peeta adjusted his feet, standing on his tip toes. Finnick did the same. The stench made them cover their noses.

“It’s pissed.” Peeta stated flatly.

“No shit Sherlock!”

The thing retreated but kept closer to the raft than it had before, engulfing them in the putrid odor.

Katniss stood on the hood of the car, wrapped in a towel now, shoes on her feet. “What’s the matter?” she yelled to them.

“We’ve got to think of something else!” Peeta shouted back.

The sun was drooping lower and lower behind the trees. Peeta wasn’t sure that they would have to wait until morning to come up with something.

“I’ll stick my leg in the water.” Finnick finally said.

“Fuck no, dude. It’s too risky.”

“Just trust me, okay. It’ll work.”

What choice did he have really? The thing wasn’t going to be fooled again. He just wanted to get home. He consented with a sigh.

Finnick put his foot in the water. And like a magnet, the living thing began to pounce. Once it had made it around again, Peeta did not wait, he jumped.

His arms cut through the murky water easily. He tried to stay focused on getting to Katniss, who was climbing down from the hood of the car to meet him. He did not look back. He did not dare think of the thing; until his nostrils filled with the morbid scent. Katniss started to scream encouragement. It was deafening and frenzied. And still he swam, ignoring the tightening of the muscles in his back. He reached the bank, Katniss’ arms pulling him up with unknown strength. She clung to him still as she hoisted him well passed the car. She kept saying ‘thank God’ over and over.

The thing bubbled again, this time letting out a screech. They scrambled back farther still.

The smell got stronger. It consumed them; they could taste it in the backs of their throats. Katniss wretched on the ground beside her.

It retreated but did not go back to the raft. Instead it slid somewhere between the humans it wanted to devour.

Finnick knew he was trapped but his arrogance got the best of him. He dropped himself into the water before he could think another thought and took off. His strokes were long and quick. He could see the thing coming towards him in the twilight. But he veered quickly, missing it by inches. He dug deep and swam faster. He heard the shouts of his friends but could not make out what they were saying. He climbed out of the water and turned to face the creature.

“I beat you motherfucker! I beat you!” he screamed at it, spit foaming at the corners of his mouth.

“Finnick! Come on!” Peeta yelled at him.

But he stood rooted to the spot taunting the slickness.

And then it rose. It came up from the water it where it stood, where the current lapped at the sand. It became a wall of rancid tar and it engulfed Finnick and drug him back in the water. His screams pierced the quiet night. His arm, covered in black, was the last to recede into the darkness.

 

They dared not take the car. Instead, they gathered their things and they hiked the fifteen miles back to town, stopping only once for something to eat at a convenience store. It was a silent trek. They held hands as they walked. They knew no one could know.

As if anyone would believe them.

 

They were questioned about where they were the night Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta disappeared. Friends had said the four of them were going off together that weekend. But they insisted they skipped out. Peeta told the police that Katniss’ mother and sister were visiting relatives out of town (which they were) and so they decided to stay behind and use the opportunity to have sex. Katniss corroborated the story. The police bought it. After all, they were just hormonal teenagers.

 

The story broke two weeks later. Finnick’s car was found. A dive team discovered the bones of both Annie and Finnick at the bottom of the lake. The newspaper said they had drowned. When Peeta and Katniss read this, they wondered what had happened to the black, floating mass. It surely would not leave a whole dive team alone.

The police however, did not release one detail of their discovery. They could never explain why the skeletons were so clean. Not one sliver of flesh or internal organs remained.


End file.
